Deicer boot applying tool



Jan; 12, 1954 R, F, MARTI 2,665,884

DEICER BOOT APPLYING TOOL Filed June 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 12, 1954 R. F. MARTIN 2,665,884

DEICER BOOT APPLYING TOOL Filed June 15, 195]. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NEH] PAY BY we A flrfI/YE/ff Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATE (Granted "under Title 35, U. S. Gtle'(1 952),

sec. 266) '4 Claims.

rubber de icing boots to the'leading edges of air- "cr'aft wings, elevators and the like.

'Atpr'ese'nt, the application or replacement of de-"i'c'er boots requires considerable time and'labor. The'e'dges of the de-icer boots must be drawn under retainer-strips and holes in the edges of theboots must be aligned with holes in the retainer strip so that each pair'of holes may be held together by the insertion of one screw. The method'heretofore in use required one man to stand on'th'e' wing'top surface and pull rearwardly (in string loops bypulling one or two at a time while another man stood'in front of the wing to align the holes inthe de-icer boot edge with the holes in the retainer strip and then to insert the screws through both holes and the threaded. "apertures in the wings. Thisoperation was also somewhat dangerous, since a considerable pull was required to draw the edges of the boot up to lpl'aceunderthe'retainer strip. When,'as sometimes happened'the string loops'broke, the man on'thewing -often lost his'balanceand'tumbled or "slidcffthe wing, possibly sustaining injury from "the fall.

Among the objects of the i'nventiontherefore is the"provision of a tool, by the use of which one "inan'who, while 'standing'on a'supp'ort in front of the wing can "quickly and efiiciently draw the -edge ofthe boot into place,align'the screw open- "ings 0f the de-icer boot and the retaining strip and place the screws with the minimum amount of efiort in the minimum amount of time. The tool drawsaportion of the length of the boot edge'at eachfoperation to clamping position and holds it "securely'in such position without attention'from the'operator, while he inserts the screws.

Briefly stated, the device is a nianua'lly'operable "device "for applying a de-icingboot to theleading edge of an' airplane wing and; comprises anchor- "iIig means for creating frictional or other resistances to drag without perforation of the wing, between theanchoringmeansand the unperforated top surface of "the wing, Levers are used "for shortening the distance between the anchoring means andthe upper edge of theboot to be "ap- "plied. Fulcrum means are provided 'for the pivotedattachixient'of the lejverme'ans' and equalizing'or dis'tributingmeans are'provided b'etween the fulcrum 'me'ansarid the top 'edgepf" the boot for"di;stributing' the tension create'd b'y the"op"er- 2 ation of the compoundle'ver. Attaching means, which may behooks, areprovidedfor connecting the distributing means to the boot edgethroug'h looped cords.

Referring now to "the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a semi-plan view'taken from-anangle from a position above the aircraft'wing'and t'he tool;

Fig.2 is a somewhat diagrammatical side elevation of the tool showing two positions cf 'the compound lever together with the resulting stretch; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectionofthefulcrum means or the supporting plate base, the view being' -taken along the line 3'3 ofFigil.

Referring again to Fig. 1, Nisan-engine housing or pod of an'airplane-and 'H is a-portion'of an aircraft wing connected thereto through an angled stringer I la. -12 is the leadingedgecf the wing H and i3 'is'a rubber-de-icing-*bootconnected thereto. M isthe upper edge' or-hemof the boot l3, this edge'being-provided with a-plurality of evenly spaced-screw'holes tit-I 5. "Through alternate screw holes l5, cordloops 'lfiare provided, which are substantial-lyof equal length that appear to be of unequal length int'he drawing on account of the various factors such as slack and stretch.

The tool whichis the subject of my'in'vention comprises a container 1 I which'm a-y be'filled'from one side of one end with weights,"which inay be bags of leadsho't so that it"wi11-'-weig-h' from to 200 pounds. 'This'container when so filled is known as a skid weight or ananchor. It is-provided on its bottom witha"rubber"or'felt surface I la so as to exert a large amountof "friction in conjunction with'a dry wing surface. The shape of the container preferred is that'ofatru'n'cated pyramid or half 'pyramid,'but the shape is subject to considerable choice. At'its forwardedgejthe container H is provided with a flange-t8 to which its supporting plate'or-base 1'9 is conne'cted by flexiblecords or cableszflwhich "are' preferably attached to the weighmnd the'plate"or*base*by means of clevises.

The supporting'plate or base has a 'sha'pe 'whi'ch is; generally that of a longfna'rrow rectangle'and is provided'with ears or *fianges'a't "its ends. -It also has an extension stabilizer"22'=which--'extends forwardly from the base or'plate ata point-approximating a middle of the longers'ide 'of-the rectangle. Between theears or flanges there is mounted a fulcrum barjz l :a-bout" which is fitted 'a shorter fulcrum sleeve 23,which isialsvshown in-Fig. 3. The"supportingplate l9f'iike the weight is fitted with a rubber or felt bottom, this bottom falls upon (9a extending over to the full length of the extension stabilizer 22.

To the fulcrum sleeve 23 there is attached preferably by welding a separate lever 24 which has the form of a flat bar. To it is hingedly attached a push rod 25 which has a handle 26 for manual operation. An upper hinge 21' accommodates the push rod 25. A few inches above the junction between the operating lever 24 and the fulcrum sleeve 23 there is a hinge 28, the upper part of which is elongated and is attached at its outer end to a distributing or equalizing plate 29 which also has the form of a narrow rectangle. The plate 29, which is also known as a pull plate, is perforated at equally spaced intervals for the accommodation of a ring 30 by means of a clevis 3|. There is a turn buckle 32 which, on its outer end bears a hook 33 in which is retained a cord loop 16 which connects each hook with the deicer hem M. It is now evident that if the cord and turn buckles are short enough so that in their unstretched position that causes the operating lever 24 to take the angular position shown, a powerful leverage can be exerted by a manual push on the handle 26 to cause the compound lever 24-252l-28 to pull the de-icer edge 14 toward th weight or anchor H. This action is illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the full lines showing of the lever system indicates the original position and the dashed line showing indicates a subsequent position. When the final position of the lever system is such that both rods 24 and 25 are horizontal, the tool is locked and a pull through the elements l63332302928 will not be able to pull the levers to their former series of positions. The position of the anchor I! should be chosen in relation to the wing so that when the lever system is folded down parallel with the wing surface, the holes IS in the de-icer edge or hem will coincide with holes 34 either directly in the wing or in a strip element attached thereto. In the position of such registry, a retainer strip is placed over the hem and over the holes 34 so that holes 36 in the retainer strip coincide with the holes and 34. Screws are then manually placed to extend through all three holes and are not tightened until the cord loops it are removed or cut and other holes 15 further on or further toward the housing It are provided with cords for a subsequent levering operation.

In the preferred form of the invention which is shown in the drawings, the purpose of the sleeve 23 is to make possible two or more levering operations before it becomes necessary to move the weight container H to a new position on the wing. The sleeve 23 is materially shorter than the bar 2| about which it fits so that it can be moved to approximately three positions on the bar 2| without overlapping previously occupied space. In each of the new positions, a new set of holes I4 can be worked upon and a corresponding addithat certain changes may be made in the construction of the tool without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the weights l1 may be made solid instead of as a container to be filled with other weights. Suction cups are the patentable equivalents of weights. The fulcrum bar 2! may be made to turn directly in the supporting plate or base flanges instead of the sleeve being provided to turn about the bar; and other connecting means besides hooks and clevis may be provided to connect the cords l6 and the pull plate 29.

Another feature of value which nevertheless may be dispensed with is, such a weight 24a which is attached to the top of operating lever 24. The function of this weight is to hold the bar 24 off vertical and over toward the weight I! for operating convenience, since then it will not fall down on the wing surface.

After one set of holes i53534 has been provided with screws, its alternate neighbors are also provided with screws as the operation progresses in the direction of the engine housing. Some mechanics use temporary pins before placing the screws. It is immaterial whether the work is begun near the engine housing or near the wing tip.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for applying a de-icing boot to the leading edge of an airplane wing, a skid weight provided with a means to frictionally grip on the unperiorated top surface of the wing, a supporting plate, flexible connectors joining the weight and plate, the supporting plate having a fulcrum bar substantially coextensive with the plate and a forwardly extending stabilizing extension for said plate, a fulcrum sleeve substantially surrounding said fulcrum bar, said sleeve being laterally slidable and substantially rotatable thereon, an operating lever attached to said fulcrum sleeve, a push rod hingedly attached to the outer end of said operating lever, a pull plate hingedly attached to the lower part of said operating lever, a plurality of evenly spaced rings attached to said pull plate, a turnbuckle pivotably attached to each ring substantially by its inner end and a hook at the outer end of each turnbuckle whereby a plurality of strings attached to the upper edge of a de-icing boot may be evenly pulled to bring into register a plurality of screwreceiving holes in said edge simultaneously with an equal number of like holes in a strip closely attached to said wing.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the hinges connecting pull plate and operating lever and the push rod and the operating lever have sufticient degrees of freedom so that the compound lever formed by connecting the operating lever and push rod may be folded down substantially parallel to the pull plate top surface to resist a pull applied to the pull plate, and a weight attached substantially at the outer end of the operating lever, said weight being positioned to incline the operating lever normally toward the skid weight.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the fulcrum sleeve is materially shorter than the fulcrum bar whereby shifting said sleeve on said bar makes it possible to pull several successive lengths of the upper edge of the de-icer boot into screw hole registry without changing the position on the wing surface of either the skid weight or the supporting plate.

4. A portable manually operable device for applying a de-icing boot to the leading edge of an airplane wing, comprising, anchoring means having a lower frictional surface for frictional supporting engagement with the upper surface of the wing to create resistance to drag between the anchoring means and the top surface of the wing, a lever arm pivotally and slidably connected to the anchoring means for swing movements toward and away from the leading edge of the wing and transverse sliding adjustment movements, means pivotally connected to said lever arm intermediate the pivotal and slidable connection aforesaid and its free end including a plurality of spaced connectors adapted to be connected to the upper edge of the de-icer boot at spaced points, and individual length adjusting means in each of said spaced connectors.

RAYMOND F. MARTIN.

References Cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Hill Oct. 9, 1883 Murray Oct. 11, 1887 Wright Feb. 4, 1902 Weaver et al Dec. 19, 1905 Hasselquist June 12, 1945 Hasselquist Feb. 22, 1949 

